Flagship program of Center for Trustworthy AI in Critical Infrastructure™ In formation — Founding cycle underway.

National Critical Infrastructure AI Observatory™

An independent, public-interest program monitoring AI adoption, governance, resilience, and emerging risks across America's critical infrastructure sectors.

The National Critical Infrastructure AI Observatory is the flagship research and intelligence program of the Center for Trustworthy AI in Critical Infrastructure. It functions as a continuous public-interest capability — not a static publication — producing recurring research, sector intelligence, incident analysis, and executive briefings that inform policymakers, infrastructure operators, and the public. The Observatory preserves research independence: sponsors are acknowledged but do not shape findings.

Subscribe to Observatory briefings Support the Observatory What we publish

Independent · Public-interest · Open-access · Nonpartisan

Sectors monitored

CISA-designated

Publication types

Reports, briefs, datasets

Operating cadence

Continuous

Annual · quarterly · monthly · live

Editorial control

Independent

No sponsor pre-review

Why an Observatory

Public trust in AI needs a permanent measurement system

Trust in AI cannot be built with one-time reports. It requires a durable, transparent system of measurement. The Observatory is that system: an always-on research engine tracking how AI is being adopted, governed, and stress-tested across the 16 CISA-designated critical infrastructure sectors — so operators can learn faster, regulators can act on evidence, and the public can see what is happening inside the systems they depend on.

The role we play

The knowledge engine behind the Center's research and policy work

The Observatory powers the Center's annual reports, executive briefings, policy recommendations, benchmarking, and public engagement. As advisors and working groups form, the Observatory is the shared evidence base they build on — so guidance from the Center is grounded, current, and citable.

What the Observatory produces

Continuous public-interest outputs — not a one-time report

Recurring research, sector intelligence, incident analysis, and executive briefings. Every output is open-access and citable.

Annual

In formation

State of AI in Critical Infrastructure Report

The Observatory's flagship publication. A comprehensive assessment of AI adoption, governance maturity, incident trends, and resilience posture across the 16 CISA sectors.

Audience: Federal agencies, foundations, boards, and sector regulators.

Quarterly

In formation

Quarterly Sector Outlooks

Focused briefs on healthcare, energy, water, and other launch sectors — covering deployment trends, notable incidents, regulatory shifts, and forward indicators.

Audience: Operators, CIOs/CAIOs, and sector risk management agencies.

As incidents warrant

In formation

AI Incident Analyses

Independent, public-interest analyses of significant AI-related incidents affecting critical services — with cross-sector lessons and recommended controls.

Audience: Operators, regulators, and press.

Continuous

Planned

Regulatory & Standards Watch

A live tracker of executive orders, federal rulemakings, state legislation, and international standards affecting AI in critical infrastructure — with plain-English impact notes.

Audience: Policy staff, general counsel, and compliance leads.

Monthly

In formation

Executive Briefings

Concise, decision-grade briefings for boards, executives, and public overseers — synthesizing the month's most consequential signals.

Audience: Boards, CEOs, agency heads, and elected officials.

Semi-annual

Planned

Benchmarking & Maturity Assessments

Sector-adapted benchmarks derived from the AI Resilience Score™ and Readiness Assessments — showing where operators sit relative to peers and public expectations.

Audience: Operators, boards, and funders.

Live

Planned

Public Observatory Dashboard

A public-facing dashboard surfacing sector signals, incident counts, and adoption indicators — free, open, and citable.

Audience: Public, press, researchers, and civic organizations.

Ongoing

In formation

Media Commentary & Conference Presence

Independent expert commentary and presentations that translate Observatory findings into public understanding at industry and policy convenings.

Audience: Press, conference organizers, and civic institutions.

Public portal

Filter Observatory outputs by sector, publication type, and topic

As the founding research cycle publishes, this portal will surface reports, briefs, datasets, and dashboards. The filters below preview how the archive will be organized.

SectorPublication typeTopic

Founding research cycle underway

The first Observatory outputs — including the inaugural State of AI in Critical Infrastructure Report and launch-sector outlooks for Healthcare, Energy, and Water — publish in the founding cycle. Subscribe below to be notified when each publishes.

Selection preview:All sectorsAll publication typesAll topics

Research independence

Sponsors are acknowledged. They do not shape findings.

The Observatory's credibility depends on a bright line between support and editorial control. Here is where that line sits.

Research independence

Sponsors, members, and partners do not review, approve, or shape Observatory findings prior to publication. Editorial control rests solely with the Center.

Open by default

Observatory publications are open-access and free to cite. Underlying datasets are released whenever they can be shared without compromising sources or safety.

Transparent sponsorship

Sponsors are publicly acknowledged with tier and cycle. No anonymous funding. Sector-specific work discloses any operator or vendor participation.

Nonpartisan posture

The Observatory does not endorse candidates, parties, or vendors. Findings are evaluated on evidence and public benefit.

Built to grow

An extensible platform — advisors, working groups, and datasets plug in

The Observatory's core is designed so new capabilities can be added without redesigning the platform. As the ecosystem matures, each of the below becomes a first-class contributor to Observatory research.

Roadmap

Advisor contributions

Founding Sector Advisors contribute sector-specific analyses and peer review.

Roadmap

Sector working groups

Working groups convene operators, researchers, and civic partners around shared research agendas.

Roadmap

Operator surveys

Anonymous, sector-adapted surveys feed the annual report and benchmarks.

Roadmap

Benchmarking tools

Interactive self-benchmarks built on the AI Resilience Score™.

Roadmap

Collaborative research projects

Multi-institution studies co-funded through grants and sponsor consortia.

Roadmap

Data & API access

Machine-readable feeds for researchers, journalists, and civic technologists.

Support the Observatory

Fund a program that produces continuous public benefit

Funders don't pay for websites — they invest in programs that generate open research, protect essential services, and inform national decision-making. That's what the Observatory does.

Founding sponsor

Multi-year support underwriting the Observatory's core research program. Recognized in every publication of the cycle.

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Sector underwriter

Underwrites a specific sector's quarterly outlook, benchmarks, and incident coverage.

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Research grant

Federal, philanthropic, or academic grants supporting Observatory studies and datasets.

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Media & press

Newsroom access to briefings, embargoed reports, and expert commentary.

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